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Decorating a cake is easier than you think. Watch baker and author Liv Hansen for Betty Crocker Kitchens demonstrate how it's done. After you practice a little, you'll be piping like a pro.

Cake decorating ideas and piping tips

How To Make A Pastry Cone1. Roll out a square of parchment paper. Fold bottom edge up in a triangular fashion until it meets the top edge. Cut parchment from the roll. You will be left with a triangle.

2. Open the parchment. Use the crease as a guide to cut your triangle out.

3. On the long side of one of the triangles, draw a small line along the top of the parchment in the middle. This is where your point will form.

4. Take one corner of the paper and roll it in on itself until the corner lines up with the bottom point. Repeat with the other point, folding the point down and to the back. The two sides will line up down the middle of the cone.

5. Wrap clear tape around the tip of the bag to prevent the point from opening as you use it.

6. To fill the pastry cone, hold it in your hand. Put frosting on a spatula, and place spatula slowly into the bag. Pinch your fingers down on the spatula and slide the spatula out, keeping the frosting in the bag.

7. Fold the edges of the pastry cone into the middle, and roll the top of the pastry cone down to pack the frosting tightly.

8. Snip a small hole in the tip of the bag so you can pipe the frosting.

How To Work With A Pastry Bag1. You can use either disposable or reusable pastry bags.

2. Open the pastry bag and place a coupler inside.

3. Select the cake decorating tip you want to use. Place the tip on the outside of the bag. Put a ring over the tip and screw the tip onto the bag.

4. To fill the bag, turn the top edge over. Cup your hand like a C, holding the bag, and place the edges of the bag over your hand.

5. Use a spatula to scoop the frosting inside. Fill the bag half full.

6. Bring the sides of the bag back up. Twist the sides of the bag to squeeze the frosting down towards the tip. Squeeze a little frosting back into your frosting bowl to eliminate any air bubbles.

3. Twist the pastry bag and hold the bag at the back edge. Squeeze this edge to control the flow of frosting.

4. Practice making straight lines. Keep your hand moving at an even pace, and keep even pressure on the bag to ensure you have a solid, straight line.

How To Make a Shell Border1. Place a star tip on the pastry bag.

2. Hold the bag at a 45-degree angle. Touch the bag down to the paper. Squeeze and hold in place until the design starts to bulge. Release the pressure, pull down onto the paper and release the frosting.

3. Repeat, overlapping the edge of your first scallop with the next scallop.

How To Make A Rosette1. Place a star tip on the pastry bag.

2. Hold the pastry bag perpendicular to the surface.

3. Squeeze, rotate the bag and tail off. When you stop the flow of frosting, you are tailing off.

How To Make Bubble Letters1. Use a pastry cone filled with frosting.

2. To make a letter H, make a dot, squeezing and holding the cone in place. Pull straight down, squeeze and hold to make another dot, and then tail off.

3. Repeat, making another line next to the first.

4. Connect the lines in the middle to complete the H.

5. If you want thicker lines, cut a larger hole in the tip of the pastry cone. Keep your scissors perpendicular to the bag when cutting to ensure a nice, neat line of frosting emerges from your pastry cone.

Watch the hi-def version of this cake decorating video on Howdini:http://www.howdini.com/howdini-video-7095736.html